Links
by the stargate time traveller
Summary: The Female Changeling witnessing the destruction of the Cardassian-Romulan fleet in The Die is Cast. Spoilers ahead for future DS9 episodes.
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The Female Changeling surveyed the battle as the combined Romulan-Cardassian fleet was purged. Before the battle, the Omarian nebula had been designated by the Founders as a safe haven, a place that the Founders would be safe from the solids. But ever since Odo and that solid of his, Major Kira, had left in that Federation starship the Defiant, the Great Link had been aware that knowledge of their status as the leaders of the Dominion and where they were located was an invitation for the Alpha Quadrant's chaotic powers to attack and destroy them had been revealed.

That was unacceptable.

The Great Link had almost been destroyed many centuries ago when the Changelings first travelled through space in peace to interact with other species, except these species were solids and they feared the metamorphic abilities of the Changelings. With the Jem'Hadar to protect them and ensure that the solids who had made the mistake of attacking them paid with their lives, the Founder felt something akin to pleasure.

Odo hadn't seen the memories preserved in the Great Link which were shared by every other member of their race what the solids had done to the unfortunate Changelings at the hands of the solids, but the Female Changeling had. And that combined with her belief in her races superiority made her despise the solids and their barbaric ways even more.

It had been a gamble just sending out one hundred helpless infants into the cold vacuum of space, escorted by Jem'Hadar fighters at a respectful distance; the Founders hadn't told the Jem'Hadar what was so special about the small craft containing one of these infants of course, but since the craft were important to the Founders, the Jem'Hadar had followed the order.

The Great Link was diminished without the Hundred, but it was important to learn how the galaxy at large would feel about infant changelings. That would add a great deal of knowledge about the galaxy, likewise shaping the course of the Dominions' expansionist programs in the future. There was also the hope that each member of the Hundred would distrust the solids and bring back the memories of what had caused that distrust to further ensure the xenophobic feelings within the link.

The Female Changeling had linked with Odo. He had seen and learnt many things in that short time, and she herself had witnessed for herself the love he supposedly felt for Major Kira, and how good an investigator he was. Although she found his attachment to that particular solid disgusting, even she had been surprised by how loyal he was to her. She had known he cared for her, but not to that extent beyond small suspicions.

She was monitoring the progress of the battle on one of the screens on the bridge, and surveyed the purge with satisfaction; she didn't like the idea of having to leave her homeworld, but their people had migrated out of fear and distrust of the solids in the past, and this event and the brutally efficient way the Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order ships had fired on their former world would be long remembered.

Just as the report sent from the Changelings monitoring the activities of the Romulan Tal Shiar and the Cardassian Obsidian Order detailed the joint alliance and the plan formed by that solid Enabrain Tain would be remembered. It had been decided in the Link to push the plan forward whilst preparing the Jem'Hadar fleet and relocating the Founders to a new world, one the solids would find even harder to find; it would cause distress for any of the Hundred, but in the long run it would allow the genetic programming in their forms to learn more as they tried to find their people.

The majority in the Great Link were grateful for this opportunity however. They had learnt a great deal about the Alpha Quadrant powers long before Starfleet officer Commander Sisko had encountered the Jem'Hadar for the first time, and had spread information to the Jem'Hadar for the purpose of familising them with their future enemies. When the Great Link had learnt about the Obsidian Order and their Romulan counterparts, the Founders had recognised them for the threat they posed, and in true fashion of looking ahead more than a few years the Great Link had determined that if both organisations their governments would be severely crippled.

Instead they had not needed to go forwards with those plans for the time being whilst they concentrated on more important matters. The plan of Tain to arrive at the Founders' homeworld and the capital of the Dominion and destroy it had seen to that. Solids were so predictable. The Great Link had made plans to deal with them, but if they had moved to enable those plans then the Founders sent to undermine them both would be detected, but the plan formed by Enabrain Tain gave them the opportunity to deal with the matter and send a message.

First, the Founders were everywhere. They knew everything.

Second, the Dominion would prevail.

Third, even the best plans will be detected.

Fourth, you cannot defeat us.

It was almost a pity none of the Romulans or Cardassians present in the Omarian nebula would be alive to deliver it, but since cloaked ships could not pass through the wormhole Deep Space Nine must have witnessed them pass into the Gamma Quadrant and reported it.

The Founder herself watched as one Romulan Warbird fired its disruptors at a trio of fighters and saw one of them destroyed, but another was severely damaged; she felt nothing for the Jem'Hadar on those ships that were destroyed, they were bred for this after all. It was a pity the Jem'Hadar were using fighters, but since the long term plans of the Dominion involved a full scale invasion of the Alpha Quadrant, whole fleets were being readied and upgraded with new technology. Still, it would have been interesting to see how the vaunted and feared warbirds and Galor class warships coped with fighting battleships or Jem'Hadar cruisers. The fighters were proving a just as devastating opponent, not that the Founder cared.

One of the nacelles of a warbird exploded but the Founder's eyes did not function like those of a solid, so she didn't have to cover them to protect them from the glare.

Movement to the side made the Founder turn. The Vorta commander was looking at her reverently; the Female Changeling sometimes found interacting with the Vorta to be a chore even if they did their jobs well, but when you genetically reprogrammed a species and evolved them from such a primitive species to make their 'saviors' out to be gods, you had to accept the consequences.

"What is it?" she asked the commander brusquely.

The Vorta took the brusqueness in his stride. "Founder, the transporter bay has reported that the Founder placed onboard the lead Romulan warbird has transported onboard."

Another species hearing this news and knowing the Founder in question also had additional instructions would have shown some emotion, but the Founders were not solids. She accepted the news quietly without feeling.

"Was he alone?"

The Vorta hesitated, clearly unsure why she was asking, but he replied to the question immediately. "Yes, Founder."

"Very well," the Female Changeling had to force down her sadness and irritation that once again the solids had Odo even after all he had been through onboard that warbird to focus on the matter at hand. "Have him brought to the bridge."

"At once," the Vorta bowed and walked away to carry out the orders, and leaving the Female Changeling to her thoughts. She didn't have long to wait; the Founder that walked onto the bridge was still in the guise of Tal Shiar commander Colonel Lovok. By silent communication, the two Founders walked over to a small corner of the bridge, well away from the prying eyes of the crew. It need not have mattered. The Jem'Hadar and the Vorta were genetically programmed to avoid looking at the Founders whenever they were about to link.

The Lovok Founder held out his arm and the female followed his lead. Their arms and hands merged in a liquid mass, and both Founders closed their eyes to focus on the Link; it wasn't needed since the Founders always concentrated on the link, but truthfully they both wanted some privacy.

 ** _Are our people safe?_**

 ** _Yes. The information you and the others on Cardassia sent back gave us plenty of time to evacuate. Our people are safe on the new homeworld. I am here to supervise the purge of the attack force that came to destroy us. What of Odo?_**

The Lovok changeling was hesitant. **_He is still with the solids. Despite what Garak did to him, he still feels loyalty and a link with them._**

The Female Changeling didn't hide her disappointment. **_How was he treated onboard that ship?_**

Memories of monitoring the interrogation Garak inflicted on Odo poured unrestrained through the link between the two shapeshifters, and the Female promised herself to torture the Cardassian when she saw him for herself. But when she heard Odo tell Garak he still wished to join them and go home, it gave her hope.

The Lovok Founder felt the same thing. **_Odo needs more time._**

 ** _I wish it were not necessary to give him that time. Still, the Changelings are infinite. Solids are finite. We have plenty of time. Soon all of the hundred will return to us._**

 ** _Yes._**

 ** _You helped him to escape?_**

 ** _Yes. I gave him a padd detailing the security protocols on his runabout. He also deducted that we had given the Tal Shiar and the Obsidian Order the encouragement to seek us out. I corrected him and told him the Tal Shiar and the Obsidian Order were both ruthless, efficient organisations that were a true threat to our survival. I also offered him a chance to return to the link, but he refused. I accepted because soon he will return._**

 ** _Indeed. Did you link with any of the others of our people before you left the Alpha Quadrant?_**

 ** _I linked with our number on Vulcan, Earth, Romulus, Qo'nos and Cardassia. I gathered the plans they have overheard. The threat of the Dominion is causing much fear. The Solids in the Alpha Quadrant are becoming paranoid._**

 ** _When they hear of this after Garak and Odo return, they will become more than paranoid. It does not matter, it will only help our plans and ultimate aims._**

 ** _What are our current projections?_**

 ** _Within a year, we shall have the Klingon Empire attack Cardassia. The dissident movement is gathering strength, and without the Obsidian Order to maintain control they shall succeed. Our member on Qo'nos will urge Chancellor Gowron to begin a war that will eventually encompass the Federation, all under the guise of protecting themselves. The Klingons will feel the bloodlust their disgusting species feels, and they will expand and embroil themselves in wars that will soon weaken them._**

 ** _Indeed. Soon we shall destroy the threat of the Federation and the Klingon Empire. And then the Alpha Quadrant will be ours._**

 ** _Yes. Victory is life._**

 ** _Indeed._**

When the two Founders let go and shut down the link, they both saw on the monitor screens the presence of the Defiant. Dispassionately they watched the powerful starship destroy Jem'Hadar fighters and then leave.

"Let them go," the Female changeling ordered the Vorta. "Continue concentrating fire on the Romulan and Cardassians."

The Vorta relayed the orders. Some part of the commander probably didn't understand the importance of letting a known enemy ship depart when they could prevent it being a threat again, but the Vorta barely understood the ways of the Founders.

Of course, neither the Female Changeling or the Lovok changeling had any intention of informing either the Jem'Hadar or the Vorta there was a third Changeling nearby and was on that Federation starship.

Together they watched as the Jem'Hadar ships throw themselves against their enemy. The Cardassians and the Romulans tried to form groups to give themselves a chance to fight back through a position of strength, but they were overwhelmed by their opponents. The Great Link had already learnt much about the militaristic strengths of their enemies in the Alpha Quadrant, so they knew both the Romulans and the Cardassians would fight until the last man.

They would certainly get their chance now. It didn't take long for the Jem'Hadar to show them that they were considerably no match for the might and power of the Dominion. A few of the ships tried to escape, but the Jem'Hadar had already cut them off and soon dealt with them.

Whilst the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar were determined to wipe out the attack force neither Founder truly cared if there were survivors - in the long run both the Cardassians and Romulans would soon be exterminated. The fates of both their people's had already been sealed. It would only be a matter of time before both cases came to pass.

Yes. Victory was life.


End file.
